“Yes,” Ms. Z. admitted. “The White House has not released your involvement in saving the President’s and First Lady’s lives. We’re unsure if the Secret Service will keep that under wraps.”
“How many…?” Blayne started, then appeared to hesitate.
Ms. Z. knew what he was asking. “Nothing has been released to the public.”
Something in her voice made Blayne pry. “But?”
“Through back channels, we know the intern who was shot died before they got her to the hospital.”
Blayne sucked in a breath and leaned against the door for support. “She was so young and excited to work in the White House.”
“There are at least two or three more confirmed deaths.” Ms. Z. paused. There was something she clearly wasn’t saying.
“Out with it,” Blayne said, steeling himself for whatever would come next.
Ms. Z. turned and looked at Ethan. “There was a small group of ZERO fans waving signs outside the gate where the van rammed through. At least two of those killed were young fans.”
Ethan’s face went slack. Blayne then turned to his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around him. Ms. Z. pulled out her security card and let them into their room.
“Thanks,” Blayne said as he closed the door behind them.
They headed to the bathroom. Blayne helped Ethan with his suit and folded the clothing into a neat pile. The bathroom had a large walk-in luxury spa tub. Blayne turned on the water and let it fill while removing his suit. Blayne looked through the hotel amenities and found a box of scented bath salts he dumped into the water.
He lowered his body into the tub and coaxed Ethan to join him, sitting between his legs. Blayne leaned against the back of the tub, and Ethan leaned against him. Blayne wasn’t sure how long they lay like that. They didn’t talk. They just sat there holding on to each other. Occasionally, one of them would have a moment when the tears came. The longer Blayne sat in the tub, the more he realized that whatever was happening to them wasn’t over.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ethan
Ethan felt like a prune leaning against Blayne’s wet torso. The water had lost its warmth long ago, but they had just stayed wrapped in each other’s arms. Time had slipped by, and the sky had gone black. The bathroom had been enfolded in darkness.
“We probably should see what time it is. We’re supposed to meet Stephanie and Kira at seven,” he said.
The light switch flipped on. “You have about forty minutes. That gives us twenty minutes to talk, then you’ll have twenty minutes to get ready,” Dr. Hennigan said as she walked into the bathroom and leaned against the counter on the other side. “Don’t worry. I can’t see anything,” she said, gesturing to them.
“I would ask how you got in here,” Blayne said, “but I wonder why I’m ever surprised.”
Dr. Hennigan smiled. “First, I am sorry about today. We didn’t know there were CLA members in DC. The last intelligence we had placed Laura Lee Jackson or Lizzy Cleburne… Well, you know whom I’m talking about. Anyway, she isn’t near DC. We think she’s heading this way, but we had no reason to believe she would carry out this attack.” Hennigan looked at them for a second. “I don’t know if you know much about the history of terrorism. But in 1984, the Irish Republican Army planted a bomb in a hotel where Margaret Thatcher was supposed to stay. Their plan was thwarted. But they released a statement that read, ‘You have to be lucky all the time. We only have to be lucky once.’ Sadly, it’s a game of odds. We will never win all the time. We can’t. We cannot prevent every terrorist attack from happening. We do our best to try, and we learn from our mistakes. That’s all any of us can do.” She laughed a second to herself. “Trust me. Since I met you, all I’ve been doing is learning from new mistakes.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I wish we could have given you more of a heads up than we did, but we saw the sniper’s nest seconds before he took his first shot. Honestly, we were all fortunate things panned out the way they did today. I don’t like luck. And I never want the CLA to get lucky again.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears,” Blayne replied.
“Amen,” Ethan whispered. “So, what are our next steps?”
Hennigan chuckled and shook her head. “Your next steps are to live your life. This isn’t your fight. My goal is to keep you safe, and we’re coordinating efforts with a range of agencies, some you’ve never heard of, to ensure that happens.”
“Do you think she would try something now?” Blayne asked. “The heat has to be on her.”
“I think a sane person would avoid doing something right now, but I don’t think that’s what we’re dealing with here. Unfortunately, we don’t know what she’s thinking. To answer the question, we don’t know. She could do it today, tomorrow or a year from now. She wants revenge and has targeted The Foundation and the First Lady for previous grievances. And now, she’s coming after Blayne for killing her husband.” Blayne started to say something, but Dr. Hennigan cut him off. “You know, and I know, that you did nothing wrong. You saved lives. You were a hero then, and you were a hero today. But to Jackson or Cleburne or whatever name she changes to tomorrow, you are guilty in her eyes. After tonight, you shouldn’t see me again. But I want you to know that until she’s caught, we are watching out for both of you.” She looked at her watch. “I took up an extra minute. You now have only nineteen minutes to get downstairs for dinner.”
She didn’t wait for a response but turned and left.
Blayne
Blayne and Ethan showered and made it down to the premier restaurant in the hotel atrium in record time. Ms. Z. had gone off duty and was replaced by a polite FBI agent who didn’t completely understand why she’d been tasked with guarding a pop star and his boyfriend. Blayne didn’t mind being the arm candy of the pop star.
They had just arrived at the restaurant when Blayne received a text from Kira telling him they were running behind. Stephanie and Kira were also running late, so Blayne and Ethan caught their breath as they waited. The FBI agent stood a polite distance away from them as they huddled near the restaurant entrance. A sign requested guests not to be seated until their entire party arrived. Blayne didn’t mind waiting. It felt good to stand after the long bath.
“Sorry we’re late.” Kira’s voice boomed through the lobby. “Geez, I didn’t mean to yell that loudly.”
